The simple idea behind PayPal -- using encryption software to allow people to make financial transfers between computers -- has turned into one of the world's primary methods of online payment. Despite its occasionally troubled history, including fraud, lawsuits and zealous government regulators, PayPal now boasts more than 100 million accounts worldwide [ref].
In this article, we'll show you how to use PayPal, find out how the transactions are made, and learn something about the company's history. We'll also examine some of the complaints about PayPal's business practices. Let's start with the basics.
PayPal is an online payment service that allows individuals and businesses to transfer funds electronically. You can use it to pay for online auctions, purchase goods and services, or to make donations. You can even use it to send cash to someone.
A basic PayPal account is free. You can send funds to anyone with an e-mail address, whether or not they have a PayPal account. They'll get a message from PayPal about the funds, and then they just have to sign up for their own account.
Funds transferred via PayPal reside in a PayPal account until the holder of the funds retrieves them or spends them. If the user has entered and verified their bank account information, then the funds can be transferred directly into their account. Other ways to withdraw your funds are listed below:
